This book went to get library bound in 1984, according to its original check-out card. And guess what? It gets to go get library bound AGAIN, which is why it’s on my bench. I’m taking off the old & worn library binding, cleaning the spine, putting a nice reversibility layer of Japanese tissue on it, […]
Tag: book conservation
In today’s gross-out corner (aka the fume hood), I examine a book for evidence of mold. Spoiler alert: it is VERY moldy.
Weeding the conservation lab’s own research library, and these VHS tapes are getting scrutinized (by me) for their usefulness to future lab inhabitants. So far I’ve been able to find a DVD version available of “Into the Future”, which is also a great example of the 90′s era of internet optimism. As for the others, I […]
Just got a treat via Interlibrary Loan! The much-beloved, but limited-run journal known as “Recent Setbacks in Conservation”. Thanks to thegetty for loaning them! I’ll take good care of them while they’re in my possession. 🙂 Here’s just a sampling of what articles are contained within: “Restoration from Beyond: Is There a Happy Medium?” “Preserving a […]
Ah yes, scraping tape residue off marble paper, so glamorous!
Making rice starch paste in the conservation lab, using our coveted Cook & Stir. That thing makes some darn good paste. (Source: https://vine.co/)
Soooooooooooo, I was doing some research and stumbled across an article from a 1989 issue of Library Journal, titled “ Nuke ‘Em! Library Pest Control Using a Microwave“. (The article isn’t available for free online, but you can probably find it in your local library) Oh, what could possibly go wrong? Well, fortunately for you, dear […]
Sometimes my job feels a little surreal… (I’m repairing the inner hinge of this book, which has some very expressive endpapers)
Our order of custom-cut boxes from Talas arrived, and I spent the morning assembling them and figuring out which book fit into each box! The boxes arrived flat, so I had to fold them into shape first before they could be filled with a book. It was a little bit like a puzzle…and fun because […]
What tape does to paper. You can see my fingers through the tape, which has made the paper translucent.